Ultrasonic cleaning machine



Sept. 4, 1962 P. R. GLEY ULTRASONIC CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1961 n'i mw uu PAUL R. GLEY IN V EN TOR.

D BY o wag/ Pakem flyen t United Pat 3,052,244 ULTRASONIC CLEANING MACHINE Paul R. Gley, Hillsdale, NJ a'lssiguor to National Ultrasonic Corporation, Nutley, NJ.

Filed 9, 1961, Ser- No; 143,758

Claims. (Cl. 134- 64) My invention relates to ultrasonic cleaning machines and more particularly to ultrasonic machines used for the cleaning of recording tapes, moving picture films, etc.

The energy produced by mechanical vibrations at ultraadapted'for the cleansing of 'recor'dingtapes, moving picturefilms, and other ribbon-like objects, olfering maxi- I mum cleaning efficiency combined with agreater ease and convenience in handling and servicing than found in cleaning machines of other types customarily used for this p p Another important object of my invention is to provide an ultrasonic cleaning machine which, by the positional adjustability of the transducers, offers a very fine regulation of the intensity of the cleaning function, thereby permitting the safe cleansing of the most delicate tape-like objects. v

Another important object of my invention is toprovide an ultrasonic cleaning machine which offers a quick and ing element 10 designed to heat the timing 'fluid eontaincd in therinsing' tank. The rinsin'gtank is provided also with spray nozzles 11' so arranged as to spray both'sides of the tape or film 1, passing through the rinsiitg tank 7 by rinsing fluid. Exhaust opening 12 is provided for drawing ott'the vapor of therinsingfluid from'th'e rinsing tank 7 into the condenser 13. v

n An important element of the present i movable transducer 14, which is'vertically. slidable from the high, called threading position. shown by the dotted lines in FIG; 1, to the low,called operating position, shown by the full lines, the height of said operating position being adjustable. lnvtheformer position the transducer 14 is well above the cleaning tank 6, and in.the latter position thet ransducer l4'is immersed in. cleaning fluid contained by the cleaning tank 6. Mounted on the transducer very convenient means for the threading in of tapes, films and other ribbon-like objects, there-by reducing considerably the time required'for the cleansing process.

A further important object of my invention is to provide an efiec-tive'eleaning machine for recording tapes; moving picture films, and other ribbon-like objects, which does not require air drying to complete the washing operation and thereby offers a shorter cleaning process and'a simpler and less expensive machine. 7

Other objects and advantages of my invention will' be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the present application, whereinfor the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment" of my invention,

FIGURE 1 is a" frontal clevational view ofthe prcferrcd form of myultra'sonic cleaning machine,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the same.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates th recording tape, moving picture photographic filmor other ribbon-like object to be cleaned by the machine. This tape or film 1 is wound up on the feed reel 2, which is is connected to a driving mechanism, operated preferably by an electric motor, and designated by the numeral 4.

Disposed in the lower portion of the casing 5 are the cleaning'tank 6 and the rinsing tank 7, which are important elements of my machine. The cleaning tank 6 contains the cleaning fluid and the stationary transducer 8 mounted on the base of the tank 6. Rotatably mounted within the tank 6 and immersed in the cleaning fluid are the rollers 9 which are adapted to guide the tape 1 during the cleaning process.

Mounted on the base of the rinsing tank 7 is the heat 14, by suitable brackets are the movable rollers l51and 16,

which are so arranged that in the immersed position of the movable transducer 14 the rollers 15, moving together' with the transducer 14, will by-pass the stationary rollers 9 located in the cleaning tank 6, and, at the same time, the movable roller 16 willbe lowered into the rinsing tank below the level of the spray nozzles 11.,

This vertical movement of the movable transducer 14 and the connected rollers 15 and 16 has two important objects. Its first object is to permit the quick, and con-.

venient threading in of the tapes, films; and other ribbonlike' object to be cleaned. As assisting elements for this quick and convenient threading-in the casing's'isprovided with" stationary guide rollers 17 and 18, the former ones being" located adjacent to the two reels andthe' latter one between the cleaning tank 6 and the rinsing tank 7, as shown in FIG. 1. With this arrangement'the threadingin is done in the highest position ofthemovable transducer 14, and consists of merely bringing the free end of the tape or film from the-reel 3; around and under the rollers", 15 and 16 and attaching it to the reel 3. Then, by lowering the movable transducer 14, with the connected rollers, the tape or film automatically assumes its 7 proper operating position and the cleaning operation can be started. This quickan'd convenient-method of threading-in represents considerable saving'in the time required for the cleaning of the tape or film and thereby results in a greater output ofthe machine and in an easier servicing, as compared with the customary threading-in methods.

Another important advantage of the movability of the transducer 14 and; the connected guide rollers is that it permits a fine and accurate adjustment, of the operating distance between the transducers 8 and 14 and the tape or fllm 1, also of the length of the tape or film actually exposed to the effect of. thetransducers. 1f the machine operates with the lowest position of the transducer 14 (see FIG. I) the length of the tape or film passing around the rollers 15, 16, 1 7, and l8-will be a maximum and th'e distances. between the tape or film and the transducers will be the shortest. This position of the transducer 14 corresponds to the maximum intensity of thecleaning eiiect obtainable with the machine. On the other hand, when the machine is operated with thelmovable transducer 14 above its lowest position the intensity of the cleaning effect will 'be reduced correspondingly, depending on the position of the transducer 14. Thus by adjust Patented Sept. 4, 1962 nvention is the The e ing said free end to the'receiving reel 3. Then the movable transducer 14 is moved downwardly into theoperating position, carrying with it therollers and 16 and the, tape or film 1 engaged by said rollers. In this operating position the movable transducer 14 and the connected rollers 15 are immersed in the cleaning fluid contained by the cleaning tank 6 and the tape'or film'l is properly guided'by the rollers 9 and 15'. As another results of this downward movement of the transducer 14 the roller 16 will carry the tape or film 1 into the lower portion of the rinsing tank 7 by-passing the spray nozzles 11.

Thenext step is to connect the transducers 8 and 14 to the high frequency electronic'gene'rator, andthen the heating element 10 is connected to the energy supply. Following this, the spray nozzles 11 are opened permitting the flow of a fine spray of the rinsing fluid on both sides of the tape or film between the rollers 8 and 16." Then, the driving mechanism 4, connected to the reel 3, is started causing the tape or film 1 to move at predetermined velocity from reel 2 and around the rollers 17, 15, 9, 18 and 16 to be wound over the reel 3.' The machine is now in operation and this will continue until the tape or film 1 carried by the feed reel 2 is exhausted; as an optional device, the driving mechanism 4 may be provided withan automatic stop to discontinue the operation of the machine when the tape or film supply of the feed reel 2 is'exhausted. Y

In the operation of my machine there are two distinct phases: the cleaning operation and the rinsing operation. The cleaning operation,-performed inthe cleaning tank 6, is based on the well known principle of ultrasonic cleaning. The transducers 8 and 14,'when excited by an ultransonic generator, produce high frequency vibrations in the cleaning fluid, causing the rapid expansion and contraction of millions of microscopic bubblm. The implosion or collapse of these bubbles results in a powerful scrubbing action, which pulls the contamination free from the objects immersed in the cleaning fluid. The adjustability of the operating position of the transducer 14, a special feature of my invention, the intensity of this scrubbing action can be finely regulated to suit the delicacy of the object to be cleaned.

The rinsing operation, performed in the rinsing tank 7, is a novel process representing an important improvement over the rinsing methods of the prior art. This method consists of applying a fine spray of the rinsing fluid on both sides of the tape or film, by means of the spray nozzles 11, during the downward passageof the tape or film from roller 18 to-roller 16. This spray will remove the contamination, already loosened by the ultra sonic cleaning, from the surface of the tape or film and leaves on it a thin layer of clean rinsing fluid. The surplus rinsing fluid, running off from the tape or film, will fall to the bottom of the rinsing tank 7 and there it will be quickly vaporized by the heating element 10. The hot vapor'thus produced will rise to the'upper portion of the rinsing tank to-the exhaust opening 12, where it will be drawn into the condenser 13 for the'condensation of the vapor. The rinsing fluid thus rcclaimed'may be, in most cases, reused repeatedly for this process after proper filtering and purification.

my invention both the cleaning fluid. and] the rinsing fluid contain trifluorotrichloro ethane and dichloro-tetrafluoro ethane as active agents. g 1 The constructional details of the transducers, ultrasonic generator, reel driving mechanism and condenseri employed in my invention are generally known in the art, therefore, they are not described inthis specification. It .is to be understood that the form of my invention herein described and illustrated is only a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious modifications in the shape, size, and arrangement of partsmay .be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. v 1 I claim: 1. An ultrasonic machine for cleaning tape-like film,,. comprising a feed reel for carrying thefilm to be cleaned; a receiving reel for carrying the cleaned film, said reels being rotatable and being provided with "drivingmeans adapted to transfer the; film from ,the feed reel onto. the receiving reel; a cleaning tank for containing clean.-

ing fluid; a stationary transducer mounted on the base;

of said cleaning tank; a rinsing tank for containing rinsing fluid, a heating element mounted on the base of said rinsing tank; spray nozzles mounted within said rising tank; a condenser communcating with said rising tank f and adapted ,to draw and condense thevapor of said. rinsing fluid from said rinsing tank; a movable trans ducer having a v threading position above said cleaning tank, and an operating position within saidcleaning tank and immersed in said cleaning fluid; said movable trans ducer being provided with guide rollers engaging the film to be washed in the threading position of the movable transducer and immersing and guiding the film in the cleaning fluidwithin said cleaning tank and also guiding and exposing said film to said-spray nozzles. and vapor within said rinsing tank when said movable trans-- ducer isin the operating position.v

'2. An ultrasonic cleaning machinefor cleaning mov-,

ing picture film, comprising a feed reel for carry ng the film to be cleaned; a receiving reel for carrying the cleaned film, said reels being rotatable and beingprovided with driving means adapted to transfer the film from said feed fluid; a heating element mounted at thebase of said rinsing tank; spray nozzles mounted within said rinsing tank; a condenser communicating with said rinsing tank and adapted to draw and condense the vapor of said rinsing fluid from said rinsing tank; a movable transducer The important effect of the column of hot vapor rising in the rinsing tank 7 is that,

The composition of the cleaning fluid and the-rinsing fluid used in my machine depends on the nature of the tape-like. object to be cleaned and on the characteristics of the contamination. In the preferred embodiment of having a threading position above said cleaning tank, and an operating position at an adjustabledistance from said stationary transducer, within said cleaning tank, and immersed in said cleaning fluid; guiderollers attached to I said movable transducer and adapted to guide said film in said threading and said operating positions of the movable transducer.

3. An ultrasonic cleaning machine for cleaning a ribbonlike object, comprising feeding means for storing said object to be cleaned and feeding it to the cleaning process; a receiving means for the cleaned ribbon-like object; a driving means adapted to move said object from said feeding means to said receiving means; a cleaning tank feed reel adapted to carry said ribbon-like object to be cleaned; a receiving reel adapted to receive the cleaned ribbon-like object; a driving mechanism adapted to move said ribbon-like object from said feed reel onto said receiving reel; a cleaning tank for containing cleaning fluid; a stationary transducer located near the base of said cleaning tank; a movable transducer having a threading position above said tank and an operating position within said tank and submersible in said cleaning fluid; guide rollers attached to said movable transducer 10 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED ST AT ES PATENTS 2,101,840 Dinley Dec. 14, 1937 2,896,640 Randall July 28, 1959 Shelton Nov. 22, 1960 

